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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 63:15-19

The foregoing praises were intended as an introduction to this prayer, which is continued to the end of the next chapter, and it is an affectionate, importunate, pleading prayer. It is calculated for the time of the captivity. As they had promises, so they had prayers, prepared for them against that time of need, that they might take with them words in turning to the Lord, and say unto him what he himself taught them to say, in which they might the better hope to prevail, the words being of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 63:16

Doubtless thou art our father ,.... Therefore why shouldst thou restrain thy mercies and bowels of compassion from us? or therefore look down upon us, and behold us; the church pleads her relation to God, and in a strong manner; faith of interest continued with her, though he hid his face from her. This relation of father and children, which subsists between God and his people, is not upon the foot of creation, so he is a father to all men; nor on account of national adoption, so he was to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 63:16

Our Redeemer; thy name is from everlasting "O deliver us for the sake of thy name" - The present text reads, as our translation has rendered it, "Our Redeemer, thy name is from everlasting." But instead of מעולם meolam , from everlasting, an ancient MS. has למען lemaan , for the sake of, which gives a much better sense. To show the impropriety of the present reading, it is sufficient to observe, that the Septuagint and Syriac translators thought it necessary to add עלינו aleynu ,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 63:15-17

The unvarying Father. The habitation of God's holiness is the habitation of his glory; his glory is in his goodness, in his faithfulness ( Exodus 33:19 ). His fatherhood of man remains and may be counted upon most confidently, although there may appear great obstacles in the way of it. I. OUR INSIGNIFICANCE AMONG MEN is no indication of the absence of God's interest in us. Abraham might be ignorant of any one of his children; our illustrious ancestors, our honoured... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 63:15-19

A PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM SIN AND SUFFERING . From thanksgiving and confession, the people betake themselves to prayer, and beseech God to look down from heaven once more, to have compassion on them, to acknowledge them, and to save them alike from themselves ( Isaiah 63:17 ) and from their adversaries ( Isaiah 63:18 , Isaiah 63:19 ). "It is difficult to overrate the spiritual beauty of the prayer contained in this passage. We may admit that the most prominent motive... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 63:15-19

The right of God's people to address him with complaint and expostulation. No doubt the ordinary attitude of God's people towards their Maker and Ruler should be one of the most profound resignation and submission to his will. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" ( Genesis 18:25 ). Yet on occasions it is allowed them to "speak with him as a man speaketh with his friend" ( Exodus 33:11 ), to plead, expostulate, complain; even, in a certain sense, to reproach. Job pleaded with... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 63:15-19

The Church's prayer. One of extreme "spiritual beauty" (Cheyne). I. THE MAJESTY OF GOD . He is contemplated as in heaven, upon "a height of holiness and splendour:" and here, as in Psalms 80:14 , is besought to "look down and behold" as if "he had given up caring for his people, and withdrawn into his heavenly palace." It expresses the thought that he , to interpose for them, must ever condescend. The vastness of the distance between God and the creature is expressed—in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 63:16

Doubtless thou art our Father ; rather, for thou art our Father. This is the ground of their appeal to God. As their Father, he must love them, and must be ready to listen to them. Abraham and Isaac, their earthly fathers, were of no service, lent them no aid, seemed to have ceased to feel any interest in them. It cannot be justly argued from this that the Jews looked to Abraham and Isaac as actual "patron saints," or directed towards them their religious regards. Had this been so, there... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 63:16

Good news concerning God. "Doubtless thou art our Father." The Jews were the children of God. But they had been for a long time so neglecting him that they had lost all the nearer and dearer thoughts of him; and imaged him to themselves through the bleared and blinded vision of their own indulgences, wickedness, and sin. He became to them only a God to be feared, in the sense of "frightened at." Then the prophet's message of a merciful God, fatherly still, recovering and saving even the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Isaiah 63:16

Doubtless - Hebrew, כי kı̂y - ‘For;’ verily; surely. It implies the utmost confidence that he still retained the feelings of a tender father.Thou art our father - Notwithstanding appearances to the contrary, and though we should be disowned by all others, we will still believe that thou dost sustain the relation of a father. Though they saw no human aid, yet their confidence was unwavering that he had still tender compassion toward them.Though Abraham be ignorant of us - Abraham was the father... read more

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